IRAN: FORMER CHANCELLOR SCHROEDER MEETS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BERLIN 000220 SIPDIS, NEA/IR, EUR/CE, ISN, EEB FOR COULTER E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/23/2019 TAGS: PREL GM IR SUBJECT: IRAN: FORMER CHANCELLOR SCHROEDER MEETS AHMADINEJAD, DRAWS FIRE AT HOME REF: BERLIN 120 Classified By: Minister Counselor for Political Affairs Jeffrey Rathke for reasons 1.4(b)/(d) ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: Ex-Chancellor and former SPD Chief Gerhard Schroeder's February 19-22 visit to Iran has come under fire not only from rival parties and Germany's Jewish community, but also from a senior SPD Bundestag member. The MFA (and with it, FM Steinmeier) has also distanced itself from the visit. Officially billed as a private visit for the opening of a friend's medical foundation, Schroeder nevertheless met multiple senior Iranian officials and delivered a speech calling on Iran to recognize the historical fact of the Holocaust and to seize the chance offered by the Obama Administration. Press reports indicate that Schroeder also sought to discuss Iranian gas exports to the E.U. as well as to promote German-Iranian trade. While Schroeder's visit breaks the German taboo of meeting with Ahmadinejad, the widespread criticism of his visit demonstrates the lack of support from the German political class. It is unlikely that Schroeder's visit will affect the standing of FM Steinmeier, his former Chief of Staff, in either German interagency discussion on Iran sanctions or in the run-up to the fall elections. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (U) Ex-Chancellor and former SPD Chief Gerhard Schroeder traveled to Iran February 19-22. Schroeder, who currently serves as Chairman of the Board of the multinational gas consortium Nordstream, met with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Majles Speaker Ali Larijani, Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki, presidential candidate Mohammed Khatami, Expediency Council Chair Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, and Oil Minister Gholamhossein Nozari, among others. ¶3. (SBU) While Schroeder's office touted the visit as a private undertaking to help open an Iranian-German friend's medical foundation, politicians and press alike have speculated that business interests motivated Schroeder as well. In late January, the German daily Handelsblatt, citing an anonymous source, reported that Schroeder would travel to Iran in his role as Honorary Chairman of NUMOV, a pro-MidEast trade lobbying organization. (NOTE: As noted in reftel, NUMOV representatives have advocated expanding German-Iranian trade relations should the U.S. engage with Iran). Iranian Ambassador to Germany Alireza Sheikh Attar told Iranian media on February 21 that Schroeder would discuss Iranian gas exports to the E.U., and quoted Schroeder as saying that due to the E.U.'s growing demand for natural gas, an E.U. partnership with Iran would complement, not threaten, Russian markets. ¶4. (U) SCHROEDER CALLS HOLOCAUST "A HISTORICAL FACT", CALLS ON IRAN TO ACCEPT U.S. OFFER OF DIALOGUE: According to press reports, Schroeder's prepared remarks for a speech delivered to the Iranian Chamber of Commerce included a statement that the Holocaust is "a historical fact," and that a regional power wanting to be taken seriously must recognize this reality. The speech acknowledged Iran's security interests but also called on Iran to guarantee Israel's security. On the nuclear issue, the text noted that while Iran has a right to peaceful use of nuclear energy, Iran must also show absolute transparency and fulfill all international responsibilities. Finally, Schroeder's speech urged Iran to respond to the offer by President Obama for direct dialogue, noting the President has distanced himself from the policies of his predecessors. (NOTE: According to press reports, Schroeder's speech made clear that he had not/not traveled to Tehran with a direct message from President Obama, contrary to earlier outlandish press speculation). ¶5. (C) VISIT UNDER FIRE SINCE ITS ANNOUNCEMENT: Schroeder's visit has been the subject of criticism since its announcement in late January. Then-CSU General Secretary (now Economics Minister) Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg called on Schroeder to refrain from again undermining the government on a basic foreign policy question. An SPD foreign policy staffer told Poloff in early February that the SPD's Foreign Policy working group viewed Schroeder's planned trip negatively. ¶6. (C) The MFA also distanced itself from the visit at the time of its announcement, emphasizing that the trip was not government-sponsored. The MFA spokesman noted, however, that in keeping with standard policy regarding trips by former government leaders, Schroeder was briefed by the Foreign Ministry regarding the situation in Iran. MFA contacts have also emphasized in private conversations that the trip was a private undertaking by Schroeder and confirmed that they provided briefings on German policy to Schroeder's office. BERLIN 00000220 002 OF 002 ¶7. (U) CRITICISM FROM SPD, OTHER PARTIES AND CENTRAL COUNCIL OF JEWS: Reaction from German politicians and organizations during the visit has been even more critical. The SPD's Bundestag caucus's foreign policy spokesman Gert Weisskirchen said "I would not have made this trip to Iran. It would have been better if Gerhard Schroeder would not have met with the controversial President Ahmadinejad." Schroeder should have visited Iran after the Iranian presidential election, "or at least made clear that one does not want to see Ahmadinejad as President again," added Weisskirchen. CDU foreign policy spokesman Eckart von Klaeden warned Schroeder not to fawn over Ahmadinejad, as it could help the Iranian president's re-election campaign. Green MdB Omid Nouripour said that Schroeder ought rather to campaign actively for the SPD in its sorry state rather than passively for Ahmadinejad. Stephan Kramer, General Secretary of the Central Council of Jews, said that Schroeder is causing heavy damage to the reputation of the Federal Government and Germany, adding that Schroeder should have cancelled the Ahmadinejad meeting on human rights grounds. ¶8. (C) COMMENT: Schroeder's visit to Iran has generated more coverage (and criticism) than that of most foreign trips by elder statesmen. Schroeder's visit has been especially controversial as it breaks a long-standing German taboo against meeting with Ahmadinejad. However, given Schroeder's proclivity for pushing his specific business agenda regardless of broader German interests, the criticism emanating from German politicians and concerned groups was to be expected. Given the MFA's success in distancing itself from the trip almost immediately after its announcement, it is unlikely that Schroeder's Iran visit will affect FM Steinmeier's political standing and influence in German interagency discussions on tougher sanctions against Iran or in the summer election campaign. END COMMENT. Koenig